Projectile.



H. T. NUWELL.

PRUJECTILE.

APPLICATION FILED 1m28. |918.

Patented M211. 4, 1919.

2- SHEETS-SHEET l.

`H. T. NowELL.

PROJECTILE. n APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, |918. 1,296,310. Patented Mar. 4,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

L wl l 1 @if saires PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT 'I'. NOWELL, IBILLINGS, MONTANA, ASSIGNOR TO yIFRIElDIEtICK C. AUSTIN,

. OF CHICAGO?, ILLINOIS. l

PRGJECTILE.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 4, 1919.

Application led January 28, 1918. Serial' No. 214,050.

To all wLfom t may concern:

a citizen of the United States of America, and resident o f Billings, county of Yellow stone, and State of Montana, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement 1 n Projectiles, of which the following is a speci# cation. i

. This invention contemplates anovel p ro-4 jectile adapted to have a whirling motion while moving through space, and provided with means, such as one or more` propeller blades, whereby such whirling motion is conver-ted i. into power to propel the lprojectile through space, and whereby agun 1s not necessary 'for' firing the projectile, the o nly thin requiredbeing a machme for rotating the projectile at high speed, preliminary to launching it into space, and for releasing it, either automatically or at will, as soon as it has attained the speed of rotation necessary to enable it to ropel itself through the air,

l as will more fu ly appear.

-Itfisalsol an object to provide certain details and features Vof construction and c ombinations ltending 'to increase the eiiiciencey fand practicability of an aerial projectile of this 'particular character.

To these and other useful ends the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed. 1 Y y In the accompanying drawings Figure 1' is ,a vertical-section of an aerial projectile embodying the principles pf the invention, showing the same inposition on the machine by which it is rapidly rotated to enable it to develop the speed ofv rotation necessary to enable it to propel itself in the air'.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the projectile shown in Fi 1. I f 4 Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail sectional i view on line 3-3 in Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section'on line 4--1 in Fig. 3, both of these views being on ay larger scale than Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view illustrating another form of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 1, but/ showing hand-operated means (insteadof the automatic means of Fig. 1) for releasing the projectile after it has attained the desired or necessary speed of rotation on the whirling disk of the machine.

As thus illustrated, the invention comprises a ring-shaped projectile 1 of metal orV any other suitable material, preferably somewhat `oval ,in cross-section, with sharp top and bottom edges, and provided with a chamber 2 to contain the explosive or gas or other things, dependingupon the particular purpose for which the projectile is to be employed. -A transverse rod Bis suitably mounted on. said ring, and is provided with a pair of propeller blades 4 and 5, which latter have their outer ends disposed in cupshaped castings or brackets 6 suitably secured to the rino. Each Cup-Shapedmember 6 has a removable pin 7 against which the adjacent propeller blade normally7 bears, whereby the two blades are held in a horizontal plane, preferabl by the springs 8 which lice both bla es pressed tightly against sai pins. Stops 9 limit the rotation of said `blades into operative position, when said pins 7 are' released or removed, thereby rendering the propeller apparatus operative for the purpose of propelling the projectile through the air.'

`Any suitable means'can be employed for fwhirling the projectile to give it the necessary speed of rotation, so that it will, when released, 'be capable of propelling itself through the air. As shown, a disk 10 is mounted on the upper end of a shaft 11,

which latter may be rotated at high speed by a motor .or an engine or any other suitable means. The top of said disk is provided with ,a rimor bead 12 to engage the lower edge of the-projectile, and the disk` erably pivoted at 15, between their upper and lower ends, and have their .lower ends provided with weights 16 engaged by springs 17, which latter can be regulated bythe set-screws'lS, whereby the upper ends of the' levers 13 are firmly held in engagement with the projectile. the requisite speed of rotation is reached, the centrifugal action lof the balls 16 overcomes the pressure of `the springs 17, causing the upper ends ofthe levers 13 to disengage the projectile. These balls 16, it will be seen, are connected by wires 19, or by any` suitable means, with the pins?, and each As soon as ball is connected by a wire 2O withthe upper end portion ofl the other locking lever,

whereby the outward movement of the balls f 16l will 'withdraw the pins 7,and will at the same time release the projectile.,` Having ,attained a. high speed of rotation, the sudden and automatic adjustmentlof the propeller blades 4 and 5, into operativepo-sition (see dottedlines, Fig. 3) will raise the pro jectile from the whirling fdisk, and `will -carry it a distance through theI air, depending upon the speed of rotation. and thel weight of the' projectile. i; Y

It will be understood, of course, that the explodingV of' the projectile can be accomplishedin any desired man ner, 'by a time fuse, or byvany suitable device'l attached thereto. Inl any event`,though, `no gunA is necessaryv for the liringiof "the projectile through spacea machine which will develop suicient power to rapidly rotate thes disk 10 being all thatis necessary forV this purpose. .l In'Fig. 5, the propeller, apparatusis somewhat different. In this-case, each propeller 1 blade has its outer end provided with a rigid pinl 21 which rotates in 'a .bearing 22formed in the cup-shaped member-23, `which latter ,i that previously described, -but infthis; case the wires 26 `whichdead tof-the'pins 7 are connected to a collar 27 on theshaft 1l,.so that downward. movement olf this collar will release said pins. For this purpose, a

1 ring 28` having handles 29 is rotatably' mounted on said collar 27, and'held against rotation-by a stop l30, or by. any suitable means, so that" afterA the necessary speed of rotation is attained, in the previously described manner, the handles 29' can be grasped and'moveddownward, thus releasin-g the pins 7 and thereby releasing thev '.v

projectile. This-is possible,'itl will be seen, becausein thislcase the levers `3l which are 4similar t0 the levers 13 previously descri'bed,

- do nothave the centrifugal balls 16 at the lower ends thereof, and hence centrifugal The.

action does. not release the projectile.

arrangementi further involves, it will be seen, aconnection of the upper ends-of said levers 3l by wires 32 withpfthe collarf27,.v

whereby downward movement of'qthis col. lar not only withdraws the pins 7, thus allowing the propeller blades to automatically assume their-operative positions, but.

also disengaging the upper ends of the levers 31 from the projectilej y f It will-.be understood, however, that the projectile, Yand also the machinefori launching 1t intspace, can be constructed in any suitable or desired manner, and that the releasing ofthe projectile can be either autol 4 matic or by hand, depending upon the char' acter of theuse to which the invention is to beput. Furthermore, it will be seen that the ring-.shaped projectile, when rotated at high speed, has the characteristics of a gyroscope, whereby ,it will move through space with its axis` of rotation maintained at the same angle. For egample, ifthe machine for'rotating the projectile is disposed in position so that the axisV of rotation is maintained atan 1angle of about fortyeve degrees, whilefthe projectile isacquirirjg speed of rotation, the gyroscopic actionf thel ring will then maintain this angle of the axis while the projectile is'traveling through the air. In this way,

the projectile can be caused to move through space* with accuracy, relative to Aits destina,

tion, and itsaction or movements can be ac'- curately judged in advance, in a manner that will be readily understood; The invention, therefore, is not limited to the eXac construction shown and described.

As shown andl described, the invention' is an exploslve shell or projectile, or an explo,-

sive' bomb, bAut it mayl be used for practical purposes in-other directions, and may be used as'a carrier for otherv purposes',l The shape of thering enables it to 'cutthrough the air with less friction, and it can be'made-f of iron or steel or any other metal, and can be lled with exploslve of any suitable character, or with gas or anything else, depending upon the 'purpose for which it is emloyed. I`he projeetile can bema'de of any1 eslred size ,or welght, and, as previously# explained, anyform of motive power can be used for' rotating the power shaft 11 tolprolbsduce the rotation. The ying' projectile thus constructed. is, however, not'released until-4 :saryv for Hight, and at that time the'propellerl which was previously.v inoperative is rendered operative. vIn this-way, the pro- -it has attained the speed of rotation neces-f peller does not retard the rotation whileit'he v projectlle is on the machine, and does not eX ertl any lifting force, so that the projectile rests of its own weight on the diskof lsaid machine. However.. as soon as the propeller blades are adjusted in operative position, so as to .catch vthe air, the projectile is ythen lifted by its own high speed rotation into the air, and. will take its flight in the direc tion in which its axis is inclined.

What I claim as my invention is 1. As an article of manufacture, an explosive projectile adapted to be rapidlyl rotated, e andto maintain such rotation bym'omentum for the period of time necessary to' carry it the desired distance, and. provided withone or more propeller blades to cause theflflghtl f of the projectile through the air, so that the projectile is dependent upon said rotation for its propelling power, and having rovisions to prevent any effort of the 'projectile to risey until the requisite speed of rotation is reached.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, Said projectile being ring-shaped, and said pro-l peller blade or blades being disposed inside of the ring.'

3. A structure as lspecilied in claim 1, said projectile being ring-shaped and oval in cross-section with upper and lower sharp edges, and said propeller blade or blades extending transversely from one side of the ring to the other.

4. A structure as specified in clainrl, said provisions comprising means for holding said'propeller blade or blades in an inoperative condition until the required speedof rotation is reached, and for then releasing said blade or-blades to render the same opverative to propel'the projectlle.

5. 'A structure as specified in claim 1., and means including springs to automatically adjust said blade or blades to operative position as soon as the projectile has acquired the necessary speed of rotation.

6. A structure as specified in claim l, 1n combination with a machine having a whirlin support for said projectile, devices to ho d said projectile in position on sald support, and means for operating .said devices to release the projectile when the-requisite high speed of rotation is attained, said pro-l visions including means toprevent electrve operati'on of saidv blades until the projectile is released. v

7. A structure as specified in claim 1, in combination with means to rotate the prjectile and including centrifugally operating devices to automatically release the same when the necessary speed of rotation is obtained. A

8.2'l`he combination of a machine provided with a rotatable support, a rojectile adapted to rest on said support, evlces to lock the projectile on the support, an air propeller on said projectile, which propeller is rotatable with said projectile about the axis thereof, thereby to propel the projectile through the air, means to hold said propeller in inoperative condition while the projectile is being rotated on said sup port, means to cause the release of said propeller when the required speed of rotation is reached, and means to then automatically adjust the propeller to an operative position,

and for releasing the projectile from said support, whereby the projectile is released at the same time that the propeller is rendered operative.

9. As an article of manufacture, an aerial projectile adapted to be rapidly rotated, and to maintain such rotation by momentum, for the period of time necessary to carry it the desired distance, and provided with one or more propeller blades to drive the projectile through `the air, so that the projectile is dependent upon said rotation for its propelling power, said projectile having means for holding said propeller blade or blades in an inoperative condition until the required speed of rotation is reached, and for then ,releasing said 'blade or blades to render the vpropelling power, and means including springs to automatically adjust said blade .85 or blades to operative position as soon as the projectile has acquired the necessary speed of rotation.

' 11. The combination of a whirling projectile having a propeller by which to propel itself through the air, when rotating at high speed, power-operated means to rotate said projectile without any eifort thereof to rise until it attains the requisite speed of rotation for flight, and locking devices and means to opterate said devices to release the projectile a er the required speed of rotation is reached.

12. A structure as specified in claim 11, said projectile having instrumentalities to maintain said propeller inoperative while the projectile is locked in place by said devices, and to then render said propeller operative when the projectile has attainedl the speed ofrotation necessary for flight. j

13.' As an article of manufacture, an explosive projectile adapted to be rapidly rotated, and to maintain such rotation by moj mentum for the period of time necessary to carry it the'desired distance, and provided 110 with one or more propeller blades to drive the projectile through the air, so that the projectile is dependent upon said rotation for its propelling power, said projectile having means for holding said propeller blade or blades in an inoperative condition until the requiredV speed of rotation is reached, and for then releasing'said blade or blades to render the same operative to propel the projectile.

14:. `Ars an article of manufacture, an eX- plosive projectile adapted to be rapidly rotated, and to maintain such rotation by momentum for the period of time necessary to carry it the desired distance, and provided with one or more propeller blades to drive the projectile through kthe air, sothat the projectile is dependent upon said rotation for its propelling power, and means includ-Y ing springs to automatically adjust said blade or blades to operatlve position asysoon as the projectilehas acquired the necessary speed of rotation.-

15. As an article of manufacture, an eX- plosive projectile .adapted tobe rapidly rotated, and to malntaln such .rotation by Inomentum, for the'period of time necessary to carry it the desired distance, and provided with one or more propeller blades to drive the projectile through the air^,'so that'the l tated, and to maintain such rotation by momenturn4 for the period of timenecessar to carry 1t the desired distance, .and provided lspeed of rotation is obtained.

with one or more propeller blades to drive the projectile through the air, so that the projectile isfdependent upon -said* rotation for its propelling power, in combination with means to rotate the projectile, and c env trifugally-operated 'devices to automatically release. the projectile .when the necessary 175 The combination of a whirling pro'- jectile having apropeller by which to propel itseli:l through the air, when rotating at high speed, and power-operated means to rotate said'projectile until it attains the requisite speed of rotationlfor flight, and instrumentalities `to'maintain said pro eller inoperative before the requisite spee of rotation is acquired, and to then render said propeller operative. when the projectlle has attained the speed of rotation necessary for flight. i.

Signed by me at Chicago, Cook county,

Illinois, this 14th. day ofJ anuary, l918..

. HERBERT T. NoWELL;.- 

